Genome regions once mislabeled 'junk' linked to heart failure

Large sections of the genome that were once referred to as “junk” DNA have been linked to human heart failure, according to research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. So-called junk DNA was long thought to have no important role in heredity or disease because it doesn’t code for proteins.

Emerging research in recent years has revealed that many of these sections of the genome produce RNA molecules that, despite not being proteins, still have important functions in the body. RNA is a close chemical cousin to DNA.

Molecules now associated with these sections of the genome are called noncoding RNAs. They come in a variety of forms, some more widely studied than others. Of these, about 90 percent are called long noncoding RNAs, and exploration of their roles in health and disease is just beginning.

Comments

Yes, this is an important area - non coding RNA - that only relatively recently came to attention of researcher, it followed sequencing of the human genome. Now this is very active area of research and important in understanding diseases

1 Replies

Author: Guest

Posted: 2014-04-28

+2

This just shows how are perception and knowledge determines names - at the time when there was no explanation , it was known as " junk" Reply

In this article, researcher describe that unlike other RNA molecules, expression patterns of long noncoding RNAs could distinguish betweenmajor types of heart failure and between failing hearts before and after they received support from left ventricular assist devices. Could be a good diagnostic marker!
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